During the mid 1960's, numerous health organizations began endorsing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (referred to as CPR) has practical emergency life support for victims of cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is simply artificial circulation induced by external cardiac massage and requires no equipment other the rescuer's hands. When pressure is applied to the sternum (breastbone), the heart is compressed against the spine, forcing blood from the heart into the arteries and pulmonary veins. Relaxation of pressure on the sternum allows the heart to fill with venous blood for a subsequent compression.
Heart attack cases frequently involve both cardiac and respiratory arrest. When used in conjunction with artificial respiration such as mouth-to-mouth breathing at a recommended rate of 12 ventilations per minute, promptly administering CPR at a recommended rate of 60 compressions per minute has proven highly successful in resuscitating heart attack victims.
Since cardiac arrest normally strikes suddenly, the victim is totally dependent upon those friends or relatives around him at the time of the attack to take speedy, effective action. Lay personnel can readily be taught the life saving CPR procedure because no specialized equipment is necessary. Consequently, medical societies and health organizations are hopeful the public will become widely educated and skillful of CPR as basic emergency first aid.
As in other emergency first aid measures, CPR must be timely and proficiently administered. When performed properly, CPR treatment can save lives which might otherwise be lost. When performed improperly, however, external cardiac compression can result in rib fractures, separation of rib cartilage, fracture of the sternum, lung contusions, and lacerations of the heart and liver. The risk of these complications can of course be minimized by appropriate attention to the details of performance and, consequently, practitioners of this rescue skill must be thoroughly trained to master the correct technique.
Heretofore, CPR training has been accomplished principally by demonstration. The trainee typically practices CPR on a manikin while an instructor is available to correct the student's body positions and movements. There is a need, however, for a training aid to assist students of the CPR technique in learning the proper body positions and movements, while developing the necessary timing and coordination through repetitive practice. The primary goal of this invention is to fulfill this need.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer to facilitate the teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by requiring the student to maintain correct body positions during compression and relaxation cycles.
Another object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer to assist a trainee in maintaining his shoulders in proper alignment above a heart attack victim during the compression and relaxation strokes of the CPR method.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer to correctly position the student's arms and to maintain such position while practicing the CPR technique.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer to assist the student through self-help in the correct positioning and alignment of his torso and arms while practicing a rhythmic rocking motion of the hips to effect the compression and relaxation strokes of the CPR method.
A further object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer to enable a student to correctly practice the proper CPR technique and thereby develop rhythm and timing without the need of constant supervision by an instructor. Thus, a single qualified instructor can supervise the training of several persons at the same time, each operating with the CPR trainer and a practice manikin. As a corollary advantage, the trainer enables the CPR practitioner to periodically check on his own technique and to further develop skill at his convenience to insure a satisfactory level of proficiency.
A supplemental object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer of the character described which is readily adjustable to persons of varying body size and physical characteristics.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a CPR trainer of the character described, being of a durable and rugged construction, which may be readily and economically fabricated.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description of the drawing.